Description

s00pr kr33m is the long, overhanging, Your Mother-looking headwall pitch about halfway along the broad west face between Whipping Post and Undertow. It climbs more or less directly above the right side of the large bird-guano arch at ground level. From the ledge, you can see it go over a small roof, up the face into a small, right-facing corner, then up onto very steep, purple stone.

To begin, you can either lead up the moderate (5.7) lower wall, right of the arch, on gear (blue and yellow TCUs, a stopper or two) to get to the ledge, or solo this portion. If you lead it, perhaps tie into both ends of the rope, and then drop the one you lead this lower bit on once you clip the first bolt, to avoid drag issues. Alternately, you can walk left (north) out the ledge from Undertow with your rope, then drop it down to a belayer on the ground. Beware some shaley-type choss along the ledge.

70-METER ROPE MANDATORY in either case.

Once you're all settled in at the first bolt, climb up and left into an open, sorta crumbly corner, then over the rooflet (5.11) to a small stance. Look up and out at the seven bolts of climbing that remain -- way steep!

We figured the climbing got just a notch harder with every subsequent clip; as the angle steepens, the pump builds, and the moves get harder and harder until you hit distinctive, bouldery cruxes passing the eighth and ninth bolts. Think: Rifle-style footwork jessery, big, soapy pinches, and power.

Double-bolts with chains just over the lip get you back to the ground, or jump off onto the last bolt for a fun-ass victory whipper.

I've heard ratings thrown around anywhere from 12d to 13b. So, umm, err, "Boulder 12d." If you get the Beta right, this thing is a powerful, Arsenal-style jug haul; if you get the Beta wrong, it's a mega-sad-super-bouter flailfest.

This route is truly amazing for being a fairly new route. I got talked into going up to try this "new 13" with Dan Levison and needless to say I was very very impressed when we got there. It's a very high climb with spectacular position, great movements, and a bouldery, powerful crux way up high. What was really cool about the route is it didn't seem necessary to warm up on something else first.(And I'm not usually one to jump right on a 5.13). The climbing is easy to start and progressively gets harder the higher you go with the crux being a very distinct and powerful bouldery section. You will know your there when you go from being totally chill to instantly pumped in what seems like a single move. Getting up into the undercling is crux number one and the moves after it is crux number two. I have been working the route for a couple of weeks (I finally sent!) and have watched a lot of people trying the route. EVERYONE seems to do the crux section differently. If you make it past both cruxes, you will feel like a kid on Christmas morning when you hit the final jug haul to the anchors. They are huge, hand swallowing, textured holds with some good spacing which still requires a little bit of juice in between. All the clips are easy. When I was working the route, we had more or less long runners on the first two bolts (thanks, Alkaitis and Dorsey) which you can easily unclip after clipping the next bolt to reduce rope drag. If your belayer stands directly below the massive roof at the base of the climb and the climber unclips the first 2 bolts, the rope line is completely straight and there is NO rope drag whatsoever. Overall, a great route and I thank the FA party for putting it up. This is now my new favorite route in the Boulder area, and the climbing is comparable to the long and amazing sport climbs of Dinosaur Rock. Oh yeah, make sure to take the victory whip for me, since I forgot to jump off at the top after my send. It looks super fun, clean and some serious big air if you skip the last clip at the jug, climb a few more feet to the anchors, and then jump off. This would be a "Motherlode" style whip.......Enjoy

* Note for the start - tie in at the bottom, walk 40 feet uphill, and scramble up the the 4th/5th class section with good holds to the left side of the Undertow ledge. From here, you can walk across the ledge back to the top of the climb where you can comfortably clip the first bolt. The ledge has some loose, chossy, and rotten bands of rock, but overall it is very easy and you have good hand holds about shoulder high as you walk across the ledge unprotected to the first bolt. It's not that bad and if you're climbing 5.13, most will not have a problem doing this unprotected....

Many of the fixed clipping biners on this route are getting worn and becoming sharp. I replaced the draw at the upper crux, added a fresh clipping biner to the draw at the lower, punchy, undercling crux, and flipped the draw on the last bolt (was surpisingly worn, possibly from victory whips...). Others should probably be replaced as well. Overall, I removed 1 draw and 1 biner from the route, and I'd be happy to return them to their owner even though they are thoroughly trashed.
May 22, 2012

I've added steel clipping biners to the top three draws on this route. Bolts at the undercling crux, the tension boulder problem above, and the "victory whip" bolt just shy of the anchors sport these biners. They should last significantly longer than the aluminum hardwear that has been getting grooved and sharp on this route quite quickly. Enjoy!
Aug 24, 2013